961 resultados para Supply and distribution


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ABSTRACT We investigated the distribution, morphology and abundance of antennae sensilla of Coboldia fuscipes (Meigen) using scanning electron microscopy. Antennae of C. fuscipes consisted of scape, pedicel, and flagellum with eight flagellomeres. Antennal scape and pedicel had only one type of sensillum, i.e., sensilla chaetica. Significant differences were found between the number and distribution of these sensilla. Four types of morphologically distinct sensilla on the flagellum were identified, including sensilla chaetica, sensilla trichoidea, sensilla coeloconica, and sensilla basiconica (three subtypes). Significant differences were found in the abundance and distribution of sensilla among the antennal flagella and diverse flagellomeres in both sexes. Sensilla trichoidea is the most abundant of sensilla discovered on the antennal flagellum. Sensilla chaetica is the largest and longest sensilla among all the types of sensilla found on the antennal surface of C. fuscipes. Sensilla coeloconica is widely distributed all over the flagellum surface except for the first of female. Some significant differences in the abundance and distribution were also observed among sensilla basiconica of flagellum. The probable biological function of each sensillum type was deduced based on the basis of their structure. These results serve as important basis for further studies on the host location mechanism and mating behavior of C. fuscipes.

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There is no doubt about the necessity of protecting digital communication: Citizens are entrusting their most confidential and sensitive data to digital processing and communication, and so do governments, corporations, and armed forces. Digital communication networks are also an integral component of many critical infrastructures we are seriously depending on in our daily lives. Transportation services, financial services, energy grids, food production and distribution networks are only a few examples of such infrastructures. Protecting digital communication means protecting confidentiality and integrity by encrypting and authenticating its contents. But most digital communication is not secure today. Nevertheless, some of the most ardent problems could be solved with a more stringent use of current cryptographic technologies. Quite surprisingly, a new cryptographic primitive emerges from the ap-plication of quantum mechanics to information and communication theory: Quantum Key Distribution. QKD is difficult to understand, it is complex, technically challenging, and costly-yet it enables two parties to share a secret key for use in any subsequent cryptographic task, with an unprecedented long-term security. It is disputed, whether technically and economically fea-sible applications can be found. Our vision is, that despite technical difficulty and inherent limitations, Quantum Key Distribution has a great potential and fits well with other cryptographic primitives, enabling the development of highly secure new applications and services. In this thesis we take a structured approach to analyze the practical applicability of QKD and display several use cases of different complexity, for which it can be a technology of choice, either because of its unique forward security features, or because of its practicability.

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Questions Soil properties have been widely shown to influence plant growth and distribution. However, the degree to which edaphic variables can improve models based on topo-climatic variables is still unclear. In this study, we tested the roles of seven edaphic variables, namely (1) pH; (2) the content of nitrogen and of (3) phosphorus; (4) silt; (5) sand; (6) clay and (7) carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, as predictors of species distribution models in an edaphically heterogeneous landscape. We also tested how the respective influence of these variables in the models is linked to different ecological and functional species characteristics. Location The Western Alps, Switzerland. Methods With four different modelling techniques, we built models for 115 plant species using topo-climatic variables alone and then topo-climatic variables plus each of the seven edaphic variables, one at a time. We evaluated the contribution of each edaphic variable by assessing the change in predictive power of the model. In a second step, we evaluated the importance of the two edaphic variables that yielded the largest increase in predictive power in one final set of models for each species. Third, we explored the change in predictive power and the importance of variables across plant functional groups. Finally, we assessed the influence of the edaphic predictors on the prediction of community composition by stacking the models for all species and comparing the predicted communities with the observed community. Results Among the set of edaphic variables studied, pH and nitrogen content showed the highest contributions to improvement of the predictive power of the models, as well as the predictions of community composition. When considering all topo-climatic and edaphic variables together, pH was the second most important variable after degree-days. The changes in model results caused by edaphic predictors were dependent on species characteristics. The predictions for the species that have a low specific leaf area, and acidophilic preferences, tolerating low soil pH and high humus content, showed the largest improvement by the addition of pH and nitrogen in the model. Conclusions pH was an important predictor variable for explaining species distribution and community composition of the mountain plants considered in our study. pH allowed more precise predictions for acidophilic species. This variable should not be neglected in the construction of species distribution models in areas with contrasting edaphic conditions.

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Sequence data from regions of five vertebrate vitellogenin genes were used to examine the frequency, distribution, and mutability of the dinucleotide CpG, the preferred modification site for eukaryotic DNA methyltransferases. The observed level of the CpG dinucleotide in all five genes was markedly lower than that expected from the known mononucleotide frequencies. CpG suppression was greater in introns than in exons. CpG-containing codons were found to be avoided in the vitellogenin genes, but not completely despite the redundancy of the genetic code. Frequency and distribution patterns of this dinucleotide varied dramatically among these otherwise closely related genes. Dense clusters of CpG dinucleotides tended to appear in regions of either functional or structural interest (e.g., in the transposon-like Vi-element of Xenopus) and these clusters contained 5-methylcytosine (5 mC). 5 mC is known to undergo deamination to form thymidine, but the extent to which this transition occurs in the heavily methylated genomes of vertebrates and its contribution to CpG suppression are still unclear. Sequence comparison of the methylated vitellogenin gene regions identified C----T and G----A substitutions that were found to occur at relatively high frequencies. The predicted products of CpG deamination, TpG and CpA, were elevated. These findings are consistent with the view that CpG distribution and methylation are interdependent and that deamination of 5 mC plays an important role in promoting evolutionary change at the nucleotide sequence level.

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BACKGROUND: Isolated lung perfusion (ILP) with free and a novel liposomal-encapsulated doxorubicin (Liporubicin, CT Sciences SA, Lausanne, Switzerland) was compared with respect to drug uptake and distribution in rat lungs bearing a sarcomatous tumor. METHODS: A single sarcomatous tumor was generated in the left lung of 39 Fischer rats, followed 10 days later by left-sided ILP (n = 36) with free and equimolar-dosed liposomal doxorubicin at doses of 100 microg (n = 9) and 400 microg (n = 9) for each doxorubicin formulation. In each perfused lung, the drug concentration and distribution were assessed in the tumor and in three areas of normal lung parenchyma by high-performance liquid chromatography (n = 6) and fluorescence microscopy (n = 3). Histologic assessment and immunostaining with von Willebrand factor was performed in 3 animals with untreated tumors. RESULTS: The sarcomatous tumors in controls were well vascularized with fine branching capillaries present throughout the tumors. Isolated lung perfusion resulted in a heterogeneous drug distribution within the perfused lung and a consistently lower drug uptake in tumors than in lung parenchyma for both doxorubicin formulations and both drug doses applied. Isolated lung perfusion with free doxorubicin resulted in a significantly higher drug uptake than Liporubicin in both the tumor and lung tissue for both drug doses applied (p < 0.01). However, the tumor/normal tissue drug ratio was lower for free than for liposomal doxorubicin at a drug dose of 100 microg (0.27 +/- 0.1 vs 0.53 +/- 0.5; p = 0.225) and similar for both doxorubicin formulations at a drug dose of 400 microg (0.67 +/- 0.2 vs 0.54 +/- 0.2; p = 0.335). Both doxorubicin formulations resulted in fluorescence signaling emerging from all tissue compartments of normal lung parenchyma but only in weak and sporadic signaling from the tumors confined to the tumor periphery and vessels situated within the tumor for both drug doses assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Isolated lung perfusion with free and liposomal doxorubicin resulted in a heterogeneous drug distribution within the perfused lung and in a lower drug uptake in tumors than in lung tissue for both doxorubicin formulations and drug doses applied.

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Finland has large forest fuel resources. However, the use of forest fuels for energy production has been low, except for small-scale use in heating. According to national action plans and programs related to wood energy promotion, the utilization of such resources will be multiplied over the next few years. The most significant part of this growth will be based on the utilization of forest fuels, produced from logging residues of regeneration fellings, in industrial and municipal power and heating plants. Availability of logging residues was analyzed by means of resource and demand approaches in order to identify the most suitable regions with focus on increasing the forest fuel usage. The analysis included availability and supply cost comparisons between power plant sites and resource allocation in a least cost manner, and between a predefined power plant structure under demand and supply constraints. Spatial analysis of worksite factors and regional geographies were carried out using the GIS-model environment via geoprocessing and cartographic modeling tools. According to the results of analyses, the cost competitiveness of forest fuel supply should be improved in order to achieve the designed objectives in the near future. Availability and supply costs of forest fuels varied spatially and were very sensitive to worksite factors and transport distances. According to the site-specific analysis the supply potential between differentlocations can be multifold. However, due to technical and economical reasons ofthe fuel supply and dense power plant infrastructure, the supply potential is limited at plant level. Therefore, the potential and supply cost calculations aredepending on site-specific matters, where regional characteristics of resourcesand infrastructure should be taken into consideration, for example by using a GIS-modeling approach constructed in this study.

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Diplomityön tavoitteena oli sanomalehtipaperin kysyntään ja tarjontaan vaikuttavien tekijöiden identifiointi ja analysointi. Nämä tekijät käytiin yhteisesti läpi skenaarioiden avulla. Aluksi kuvattiin teollisuuden ala ja esiteltiin tärkeimmät alaa kuvaavat mittarit. Analyysi tehtiin Porterin kilpailuteorian tekijöiden pohjalta. Työssä listattiin yksittäiset tekijät, jotka vaikuttavat sanomalehtipaperin kysyntään ja tarjontaan. Näistä tekijöistä valittiin tärkeimmät ja niiden pohjalta rakennettiin skenaarioita. Skenaariot kuvaavat erilaisia mahdollisia tulevaisuuksia.Kysyntä kuten myös tarjonta on jakautunut epätasaisesti maailmassa. Alueelliset erot ovat hyvinkin merkittäviä. Tästä johtuu laajamittainen kaupankäynti eri alueiden välillä. Käynnissä oleva paperiteollisuuden konsolidoitumisprosessi auttaa vähentämään sanomalehtipaperin hinnan ja tarjonnan heilahtelua. Tämä puolestaan johtuu alan keskittymisestä ja järkevästä kapasiteetin hallinnasta.Diplomityö korostaa sanomalehtipaperin tuottajien vastuuta tarjonnan lisäämisessä. E-median uhkaa tai mahdollisuutta on myös spekuloitu ja kysynnän alueellisen kysynnän kehitystä on analysoitu. Diplomityö antaa ehdotuksia erilaisiksi tulevaisuuden kehitysvaihtoehdoiksi. Sanomalehtipaperin kysyntä tulee kasvamaan maailmanlaajuisesti, tuotanto tulee siirtymään lähemmäksi markkinoita, kaupankäynti Aasiaan tulee kasvamaan ja yrityksen tulevat keskittymään viisaaseen kapasiteetin hallintaan.

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Deregulation of the electricity sector liberated the electricity sale and production for competitive forces while in the network business, electricity transmission and distribution, natural monopoly positions were recognised. Deregulation was accompanied by efficiencyoriented thinking on the whole electricity supply industry. For electricity distribution this meant a transition from a public service towards profit-driven business guided by economic regulation. Regulation is the primary means to enforce societal and other goals in the regulated monopoly sector. The design of economic regulation is concerned with two main attributes; end-customer price and quality of electricity distribution services. Regulation limits the costs of the regulated company but also defines the desired quality of monopoly services. The characteristics of the regulatory framework and the incentives it provides are therefore decisive for the electricity distribution sector. Regulation is not a static factor; changes in the regulatory practices cause discontinuity points, which in turn generate risks. A variety of social and environmental concerns together with technological advancements have emphasised the relevance of quality regulation, which is expected to lead to the large-scale replacement of overhead lines with underground cables. The electricity network construction activity is therefore currently witnessing revolutionary changes in its competitive landscape. In a business characterised by high statutory involvement and a high level of sunk costs, recognising and understanding the regulatory risks becomes a key success factor. As a response, electricity distribution companies have turned into outsourcing to attain efficiency and quality goals. This doctoral thesis addresses the impacts of regulatory risks on electricity network construction, which is a commonly outsourced activity in the electricity distribution network sector. The chosen research approach is characterised as an action analytical research on account of the fact that regulatory risks are greatly dependent on the individual nature of the regulatory regime applied in the electricity distribution sector. The main contribution of this doctoral thesis is to develop a concept for recognising and managing the business risks stemming from economic regulation. The degree of outsourcing in the sector is expected to increase in years to come. The results of the research provide new knowledge to manage the regulatory risks when outsourcing services.

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Tutkimuksen tavoite oli selvittää suorituskyvyn mittaamista, mittareita ja niiden suunnittelua tukku- ja jakeluliiketoiminnassa. Kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit auttavat yritystä kohti yhteistä päämäärää. Kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit ovat usein yhdistetty strategiseen suunnitteluun ja implementointiin ja niillä on yhtäläisyyksiä monien strategisten työkalujen kun Balanced scorecardin kanssa. Tutkimus ongelma voidaan esittää kysymyksen muodossa. •Mitkä ovat Oriola KD:n pitkänaikavälin tavoitteita tukevat kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit (KPIs) toimittajan ja tuotevalikoiman mittaamisessa? Tutkimus on jaettu kirjalliseen ja empiiriseen osaan. Kirjallisuus katsaus käsittelee aikaisempaa tutkimusta strategian, toimitusketjun hallinnan, toimittajan arvioinnin ja erilaisten suorituskyvyn mittaamisjärjestelmien osalta. Empiirinen osuus etenee nykytila-analyysista ehdotettuihin kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittareihin, jotka ovat kehitetty kirjallisuudesta löydetyn mallin avulla. Tutkimuksen lopputuloksena ovat case yrityksen tarpeisiin kehitetyt kriittisten menestystekijöiden mittarit toimittajan ja tuotevalikoiman arvioinnissa.

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Forest biomass represents a geographically distributed feedstock, and geographical location affects the greenhouse gas (GHG) performance of a given forest-bioenergy system in several ways. For example, biomass availability, forest operations, transportation possibilities and the distances involved, biomass end-use possibilities, fossil reference systems, and forest carbon balances all depend to some extent on location. The overall objective of this thesis was to assess the GHG emissions derived from supply and energy-utilization chains of forest biomass in Finland, with a specific focus on the effect of location in relation to forest biomass’s availability and the transportation possibilities. Biomass availability and transportation-network assessments were conducted through utilization of geographical information system methods, and the GHG emissions were assessed by means of lifecycle assessment. The thesis is based on four papers in which forest biomass supply on industrial scale was assessed. The feedstocks assessed in this thesis include harvesting residues, smalldiameter energy wood and stumps. The principal implication of the findings in this thesis is that in Finland, the location and availability of biomass in the proximity of a given energyutilization or energy-conversion plant is not a decisive factor in supply-chain GHG emissions or the possible GHG savings to be achieved with forest-biomass energy use. Therefore, for the greatest GHG reductions with limited forest-biomass resources, energy utilization of forest biomass in Finland should be directed to the locations where most GHG savings are achieved through replacement of fossil fuels. Furthermore, one should prioritize the types of forest biomass with the lowest direct supply-chain GHG emissions (e.g., from transport and comminution) and the lowest indirect ones (in particular, soil carbon-stock losses), regardless of location. In this respect, the best combination is to use harvesting residues in combined heat and power production, replacing peat or coal.

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Desmin is the main intermediate filament (IF) protein of muscle cells. In skeletal muscle, desmin IFs form a scaffold that interconnects the entire contractile apparatus with the subsarcolemmal cytoskeleton and cytoplasmic organelles. The interaction between desmin and the sarcolemma is mediated by a number of membrane proteins, many of which are Ca2+-sensitive. In the present study, we analyzed the effects of the Ca2+ chelator EGTA (1.75 mM) on the expression and distribution of desmin in C2C12 myoblasts grown in culture. We used indirect immunofluorescence microscopy and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to analyze desmin distribution and expression in C2C12 cells grown in the presence or absence of EGTA. Control C2C12 myoblasts showed a well-spread morphology after a few hours in culture and became bipolar when grown for 24 h in the presence of EGTA. Control C2C12 cells showed a dense network of desmin from the perinuclear region to the cell periphery, whereas EGTA-treated cells showed desmin aggregates in the cytoplasm. RT-PCR analysis revealed a down-regulation of desmin expression in EGTA-treated C2C12 cells compared to untreated cells. The present results suggest that extracellular Ca2+ availability plays a role in the regulation of desmin expression and in the spatial distribution of desmin IFs in myoblasts, and is involved in the generation and maintenance of myoblast cell shape.

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BACKGROUND: Capillaries function to provide a surface area for nutrient and waste exchange with cells. The capillary supply of skeletal muscle is highly organized, and therefore, represents an excellent choice to study factors regulating diffusion. Muscle is comprised of three specific fibre types, each with specific contractile and metabolic characteristics, which influence the capillary supply of a given muscle; in addition, both environmental and genetic factors influence the capillary supply, including aging, physical training, and various disease processes. OBJECTIVE: The present study was undertaken to develop and assess the functionality of a data base, from which virtual experiments can be conducted on the capillary supply of human muscle, and the adaptations of the capillary bed in muscle to various perturbations. METHODS: To create the database, an extensive search of the literature was conducted using various search engines, and the three key words - "capillary, muscle, and human". This search yielded 169 papers from which the data for the 46 variables on the capillary supply and fibre characteristics of muscle were extracted for inclusion in the database. A series of statistical analyses (ANOVA) were done on the capillary database to examine differences in skeletal muscle capillarization and fibre characteristics between young and old individuals, between healthy and diseased individuals, and between untrained, endurance trained, endurance welltrained, and resistance trained individuals, using SAS. RESULTS: There was a significantly higher capillarization in the young compared to the old individuals, in the healthy compared to the diseased individuals, and in the endurance-trained and endurance well-trained compared to the untrained individuals. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study support the conclusion that the capillary supply of skeletal muscle is closely regulated by factors aimed at optimizing oxygen and nutrient supply and/or waste removal in response to changes in muscle mass and/or metabolic activity.

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L’effet du développement résidentiel des bassins versants sur l’habitat et la distribution des macrophytes dans le littoral de six lacs des Laurentides a été évalué à l’aide de carottes de sédiments et de quadrats. Le développement augmente la proportion de milieux déboisés ce qui réduit l’apport en débris de bois et augmente l’érosion et les apports de nutriments dans les sédiments du littoral. Les sédiments sont plus fins, plus denses et contiennent moins de matière organique. Ces changements favorisent les macrophytes en augmentant leur couverture dans les lacs développés. La présence d’espèces submergées de macrophytes est également favorisée au détriment des espèces à feuilles flottantes, plus caractéristiques des lacs moins développés. Même si la biomasse des macrophytes est limitée dans certains lacs, celle-ci augmente dans les lacs développés et montre des signes d’un effet tampon sur les apports de nutriments. Des quantités équivalentes à des valeurs entre 35 et 230% des apports annuels de phosphore et entre 79 et 659% des apports d’azote par les résidents ont été accumulées dans les tissus des macrophytes des lacs dont le bassin versant est très déboisé. Les sédiments s’enrichissent à la sénescence des macrophytes et contiennent alors plus de nutriments que la colonne d’eau et ce, pour tous les lacs. Une présence accrue d’espèces submergées et plus de nutriments dans les tissus des macrophytes des lacs développés, jumelés à l’absence de prolifération de phytoplancton malgré un plus grand apport de nutriments, laisse penser que les lacs des Laurentides sont en état d’eutrophisation précoce.

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La thèse propose d’introduire une perspective globale dans le traitement juridique du transport intermodal international qui prendrait racine dans la stratégie logistique des entreprises. La conception juridique se heurte, en effet, aux évolutions opérationnelles et organisationnelles des transports et aboutit à une incertitude juridique. Les transporteurs ont dû s’adapter aux exigences d’optimisation des flux des chargeurs dont les modes de production et de distribution reposent sur le supply chain management (SCM). Ce concept est le fruit de la mondialisation et des technologies de l’information. La concurrence induite par la mondialisation et le pilotage optimal des flux ont impulsé de nouvelles stratégies de la part des entreprises qui tentent d’avoir un avantage concurrentiel sur le marché. Ces stratégies reposent sur l’intégration interfonctionnelle et interoganisationnelle. Dans cette chaîne logistique globale (ou SCM) l’intermodal est crucial. Il lie et coordonne les réseaux de production et de distribution spatialement désagrégés des entreprises et, répond aux exigences de maîtrise de l’espace et du temps, à moindre coût. Ainsi, le transporteur doit d’une part, intégrer les opérations de transport en optimisant les déplacements et, d’autre part, s’intégrer à la chaîne logistique du client en proposant des services de valeur ajoutée pour renforcer la compétitivité de la chaîne de valeur. Il en découle une unité technique et économique de la chaîne intermodale qui est pourtant, juridiquement fragmentée. Les Conventions internationales en vigueur ont été élaborées pour chaque mode de transport en faisant fi de l’interaction entre les modes et entre les opérateurs. L’intermodal est considéré comme une juxtaposition des modes et des régimes juridiques. Ce dépeçage juridique contraste avec la gestion de la chaîne intermodale dont les composantes individuelles s’effacent au profit de l’objectif global à atteindre. L’on expose d’abord l’ampleur de l’incertitude juridique due aux difficultés de circonscrire le champ d’opérations couvert par les Conventions en vigueur. Une attention est portée aux divergences d’interprétations qui débouchent sur la « désunification » du droit du transport. On s’intéresse ensuite aux interactions entre le transport et la chaîne logistique des chargeurs. Pour cela, on retrace l’évolution des modes de production et de distribution de ces derniers. C’est effectivement de la stratégie logistique que découle la conception de la chaîne intermodale. Partant de ce système, on identifie les caractéristiques fondamentales de l’intermodal. La thèse aboutit à dissiper les confusions liées à la qualification de l’intermodal et qui sont à la base des divergences d’interprétations et de l’incertitude juridique. De plus, elle met en exergue l’unité économique du contrat de transport intermodal qui devrait guider la fixation d’un régime de responsabilité dédié à ce système intégré de transport. Enfin, elle initie une approche ignorée des débats juridiques.

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This thesis Entitled Resource abundance and survival of indigenous ornamental fishes of central kerala with emphasis on handling and packing stress in puntius filamentosus (valenciennes).Kerala state is endowed with 41 west flowing and three east flowing rivers originating in the Western Ghats. These rivers and their vast network of tributaries and distributaries harbour rich and diversified fish fauna. Most of the freshwater fishes available in Kerala are highly appreciated as ornamental fishes in the national and international markets.Today the ornamental fish industry is one of the largest industries all over the world. The demand for ornamental fishes has been increasing steadily with the enlargement of the industry, such that the current demand for indigenous ornamental fishes have exceeded the supply. This has led to serious concern about the resources available in the country that can be utilised judiciously for the economic benefit of the state. With an aim to fill up the lacuna, a database of freshwater ornamental fishes of Kerala was created as part of the present study. Ornamental fishes destined for export marketing should thrive well in the aquarium conditions.The study reiterates fishes caught from different environmental conditions and feeding habits have a greater ability to adapt and acclimatise to an entirely new environment and food habits. Marketing studies based on the statistics available with Marine Products Export Development Authority show that these species are not being exported at the required level over the past 6 years, when compared to the availability in the water bodies of Kerala. Sustainable utilisation of these resources from the wild using modern management principles and code of conduct for responsible fishing are advisable until captive breeding technology is popularised.